Republicans File Lawsuit Aimed at North Carolina Elections Board

Republicans are taking North Carolina’s State Board of Elections to court, aiming to prevent the usage of digital IDs from UNC-Chapel Hill as valid identification for voting.

At a Glance

The Republican Party sued North Carolina’s elections board to block the use of digital IDs from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for voting.
The lawsuit was filed three weeks after the “Mobile UNC One Card” was approved as a qualifying ID.
The law requires qualifying IDs to meet specific photo and security requirements.
Republican groups argue that state law requires IDs to be in physical form, not digital.
Concerns include the potential for digital IDs to be altered and difficulties for precinct workers to review them.

Republicans Challenge Digital Identification Measure

The Republican Party has filed a lawsuit against North Carolina’s State Board of Elections, challenging the use of digital IDs from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for voting. According to the lawsuit, the recently approved “Mobile UNC One Card” does not meet the legal standards required for voter identification under state law.

GOP sues NC elections board for allowing use of UNC digital IDs for voting https://t.co/q46Jk1LTel

— The News & Observer (@newsobserver) September 13, 2024

The Legal and Security Concerns

The State Board of Elections approved the “Mobile UNC One Card” for voting in August, a decision that was met with immediate backlash from Republican groups. The GOP was quick to point out that the law explicitly requires physical forms of identification, and the digital ID from UNC-Chapel Hill does not meet these criteria. This is the fourth lawsuit in three weeks filed by the Republican National Committee (RNC) and North Carolina Republican Party (NCGOP) against the State Board of Elections.

Critics argue that digital IDs can be easily altered and that it can be difficult for precinct workers to verify their authenticity. Notably, over 130 traditional student and employee IDs, including the UNC-Chapel Hill’s physical One Card, have been approved for voting. The move towards digital IDs adds another layer of complexity to the voting process, which some argue may complicate efforts to ensure free and fair elections.

The Road Ahead

The ongoing legal battles highlight the contentious nature of voter ID laws in North Carolina. The current voter ID law was passed in late 2018 but only took effect this year due to various legal challenges. For now, the digital ID debate adds urgency to the discussions around voter identification, with the GOP keen to prevent any changes from what the law currently specifies.

This case could be pivotal in shaping the future of digital identification in elections, not just in North Carolina but across the nation. Will the outcome set a precedent for other states attempting to modernize and secure their voting systems while balancing legal and security concerns?